Kristian Matte wanted to put his retirement speech on paper to avoid crying or forgetting anyone during his speech on Monday afternoon in the Montreal Alouettes locker room at the Olympic Stadium.
Posted at 4:16 p.m.
“I’ve been playing Football for 30 years, 30 years,” the 39-year-old veteran first said, sitting in front of his wife and their two children.
“And I am extremely proud…” he continued. But the tears flowed. During the forty minutes that lasted the officialization of his retirement and the end of his 14-season adventure with the Alouettes, Matte used tissues a few times to wipe away the sadness and nostalgia that flowed over him. its carefully prepared text.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Kristian Matte used tissues a few times to wipe away the sadness and nostalgia that flowed across his carefully prepared text.
The offensive lineman put on the shoulder pads for the first time at age 8, in Saint-Hubert. Then, he decided to hang his crampons three decades later in the locker room that welcomed him in 2010. “My heart is at peace. I accomplished everything I had to accomplish. »
A fulfilled career
After graduating from Concordia University, Matte signed with the Houston Texans in the NFL. He participated in a few practices with the Texan team before joining the Alouettes, who drafted him seventh overall in the 2010 Canadian Football League auction.
The offensive lineman hit it off with his childhood team and won his first Gray Cup a few months later. He won another in 2023.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
Christian Matte
In the meantime, he has been named twice to the East Division All-Star team, in 2019 and 2021. And with his 190 games played in the French uniform, Matte ranks eighth in the history of the dealership.
According to general manager Danny Maciocia, this longevity is impressive.
With today’s professional sport, you don’t see that often. It’s a rarity. In addition, with the same team, it is seen less and less. Particularly in the Canadian League, where we manage our contracts and our budgets one year at a time.
Danny Maciocia
A privileged witness to the evolution and importance of Matte within this organization, Maciocia specifies that the veteran “could have made more money elsewhere”.
However, “he chose to stay here for the love of his city, the organization and his family.”
To play that long, “it takes good preparation every off season,” explained the star of the day. You should never take anything for granted. And when you love something, you find a way to succeed. When it lasts this long, it must be said that there is also a bit of luck. »
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
-Christian Matte
Matte’s career could have ended in apotheosis a year ago, after the Alouettes’ conquest. “I still wanted to play,” however, clarified the 6’4” and 296 lb colossus. “I had good feelings, I still had fun playing after the Gray Cup. I had just had a good year. »
It is true, however, that the year 2024 was “a year out of the ordinary because of injuries”. Limited to only six games due to health problems, Matte had always been spared before. This final season did not go as he hoped, on an individual and collective level, but he has no regrets.
The heart in Montreal
Thirteen years separate Matte’s two triumphs in an Alouettes uniform. “Winning my first year, I thought it was going to be like this every year,” he joked. But unfortunately, it didn’t happen like that. »
Complex and worrying years followed for the organization. On a sporting level, the team left something to be desired. In the metropolis, the prestige and interest in this team had faded. For nearly a decade, the Alouettes logo had lost a certain value in the community.
I never had the interest to look elsewhere.
Christian Matte
He stayed out of loyalty, because Montreal “gave him a chance” in his early days. Then, he also wanted “to be part of the group that was going to change that so that we could return to the moments of glory”. And that’s what happened.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Kristian Matte with his wife, Mélissa, and their children, Ellison and Zackary
The sequel
Matte also spoke about the desire to stay in the world of football on Monday. Whether as a coach or as a recruiter. His year spent away from the trench lines and closer to the sidelines allowed him to evolve as a mentor.
“It’s been a year of transition. I was able to learn to play football differently,” he revealed.
According to Maciocia, Matte has all the qualities required to move up the ranks as a coach.
We saw something different in him because of this injury. And that’s when we said to ourselves that he had a whole future in football. If I were a school principal or head coach of a college program, he would be an ideal fit.
Danny Maciocia
Same story for Luc Brodeur-Jourdain. During the press conference, he sat behind, with Anthony Calvillo, to support his friend and last active member of the Alouettes to contribute to the 2010 Gray Cup.
“He would be a good coach, because he is a player who has always prepared well to face opponents. I see him very well as a coach, he would have no problem! »
At the end of his press conference, Matte posed with his number 51 vest for photographers before joining his family, the real reason for his success, he claimed. “I’ve been playing my best football since I had kids. »
